Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the start of his cabinet meeting on Sunday that the war in Gaza must not be stopped until the victory over Hamas and that Hezbollah should learn from the lesson of Hamas that It, too, can be destroyed.
Speaking to his cabinet ministers that did not include Benny Gantz and his party ministers (other than Gideon Sa’ar) who boycotted the meeting in protest of Thursday’s clash between the right-wing ministers and Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Netanyahu declared, “Every other consideration must be set aside, and we must continue until total victory. This victory will be achieved only when we complete our goals and when we restore security to residents of the north and south alike.”
“I have a clear message for our enemies: What happened on October 7 will not happen again,” Netanyahu began. “This is the commitment of my government and this is the reason why our soldiers in the field are giving their lives. Our commanders and soldiers, conscripts and reservists, in the north and the south, repeat one thing: ‘We are not coming back – until we carry out the mission,’ and I say: ‘We are not stopping – until victory,’” Netanyahu proclaimed.
Netanyahu reiterated, “The war must not be stopped until we achieve all of its goals: eliminating Hamas, returning all of our hostages, and ensuring that Gaza will never again constitute a threat to Israel. I say this to both our enemies and our friends. This is our responsibility and this is our commitment.”
“I suggest that Hezbollah learn what Hamas has already learned in recent months: No terrorist is immune. We are determined to defend our citizens and to return the residents of the north safely to their homes. This is a national goal that we all share and which we are all working to achieve responsibly. If we can, we will do so diplomatically, and if not, we will work in other ways,” the PM said.
